Friday, June 24, 2011

TURKISH CHEESE, SUCUK & OLIVE PIDE PIES

"Time is the only thief we can't get justice against."- Astrid Alauda

No time, running. How many of you people have said or heard that sentence before? Too many, unfortunately. Sadly, most of us regularly struggle with a life that is far from being relaxed and suffer from that situation.

We always seem to be rushing and stressing like crazy, because our days are not long enough and we are engrossed in work and in doing chores. We are not capable of coping with the fact that hours pass incredibly fast and that we rarely get anything done as expected. I don't know about you, but although I don't mind being busy and having lots of things to do, I hate being on the run or put under pressure. It is just not a Feng-Shui/Zen lifetsyle. As a matter of fact, it is not for no reason that my favorite expressions is "trrrrranquile!" (pronounced with a Spanish accent)...

I have no clue why suddenly time started to fly by with infinite velocity, but I remember that when I was a college girl I went to school from 8am 'til around 5pm, then I studied for a while, listened to some music/CD's, wrote letters to my penpals, read novels, roamed town with friends and even had leisure to get bored or lie on my bed daydreaming. Nowadays, I barely can do half of those things and I'm continually keeping a concentrated eye on the clock!

This week, I got overtaken by the events, overwhelmed by the shortness of the those 168 hours and challenged by the incessant permutation of minutes. From Monday to Friday, I have been preparing a guest post for a foodblogger friend (creating a new dish, cooking it, taking pictures and putting my thoughts down on paper isn't all that easy and demands a certain amount of concentration), answering questions to an interview and taking care of all the household tasks (cooking, cleaning, etc...). Quite exhausting! And to crown it all I felt extremely lazy and lacked ambition. As a result, I had no stamina left to think about my new post, my schedule got busted as well as unintentionally altered.

You see, as antagonistic as it may sound, despite being a messy and chaotic individual, I am also somebody who needs structure in life, who likes a certain routine and things to be square, otherwise I tend to feel insecure, stressed and panicky. Is it bad or is it good? I don't believe it is, yet I must admit that the motives of this behaviour pattern elude me. I'm pretty sure a psychologist would find a concrete explaination, but I know that's how things work for me. I profoundly dislike having a disorganized agenda. The only places where I like anarchy and clutter to reign supreme are in my computer room, my kitchen or in arts (painting, photography, cinema or music).

For example, if I can't blog as planned I become very fidgety and anxious. Some mornings, I wake up with my heart beating loudly and an unhealthy need to run out of bed in order to sit in front of the computer. Although blogging brings me joy and fulfills my soul, it can also be a burden and a heavy weight for a disciplined perfectionist like me who has high expectations and seldom values herself positively. I am constantly afraid of never being able to deliver quality articles/recipes that are cunning enough.I really have to find a solution to this problem as my painstaking fussiness and hairsplitting manners can be a real hindrance to creativity and productivity. I should learn how to be a little more laidback and cool when it comes to my blog, otherwise I am likely to end up loathing that activity, loosing your mojo and ending up with a burn-out, and that is something I have come dangerously close to experiencing lately...

When what you like becomes a "punishment" that brings pain, tension and confusion, then it is a sign that you are doing it the wrong way. Such destructive feelings can completely eradicate all the pleasure you used to feel while exercising your hobby and disgust you to the point of no return. Bad and really not constructive, so don't forget not to take blogging too seriously and be casual!

Anayway, despite my hectic mood and difficulty to deal with my "overbooked" agenda, I have nonetheless been able to prepare a post to share with you. I might be someone who needs a lot of energy to get out of her slumber, but it is always a joy to kick myself in the ass for you, my dear readers! So, this Friday I am presenting you one of my fetish recipes for a traditional pizza-like treat that hails from beautiful Turkey.

"A quick poll of our friends revealed that most did indeed think of Turkish food as being limited to endless versions of oily braised eggplant, with a few sticky pastries and limp doner kebabs thrown in for good measure. Yet we had read plenty of books that described Turkish food as one of the greatest cuisines in the world, and numerous magazines and newspapers were busily printing stories about a revitalised Istanbul - the new 'cool' travel destination."- Greg and Lucy Malouf

Apart from having amazing landscapes, photogenic sceneries and astonishing monuments, to die for eats, unique atmosphere and being romantically exotic, this incredible country placed at a crossroads between Europe and the Middle East is also the beholder of incredible culinary traditions that blow my mind away. With its Central and Far East Asian, Persian, Arabic, Balkanese and Mediterranean influences, the refined cuisine from "the land of the Turks" is so stunning and bewithchingly authentic that it is quite impossible not to fall under its irresistible charm.

Being a big fan of the gastronomy from this part of the world and a fervent admirer of the great Australian Lebanese-born chef Greg Malouf, I constantly crave the dishes that can be found in his three marvelously written as well as illustrated award-winning food and travel compendiums "Turquoise" (Turkey), "Saha" (Lebanon & Syria) and "Saraban" (Persia). They are a fantastic source of recipes and inspiration.

I have already tested a few of the specialities that this talented cook dispenses in his remarkable cookbooks. One in particular has been on the menu more than once and has never failed to sweep us off our feet. His succulent "Cheese, Suçuk And Olive Pide Pies" are terrific and so addictive.

Those scrumptious boat-shaped tarts known under the name of "Sucuklu Pide" are made with simple bread dough which is enriched with olive oil and garnished with halloumi, kasseri (or Mozarella if you can't find this Greek/Turkish stringy cheese), Kalamata olives, green bell pepper and a pungent sausage called suçuk. A wonderful delicacy that is lipsmackingly spicy, cheesy and bready.There sure is more to the Turkish cuisine than kebabs!

Makes 3 medium (or 2 big) pide pies.Ingredients For The "Pide":1 x Pide dough (recipe follows)250g Halloumi cheese, finely sliced (see remarks)150g Mozarrella, finely sliced12 Pitted Kalamata olives, cut in 41 Medium-sized green pepper, seeded and cubed1 (240g) Suçuk sausage, slicedKirmizi biber (Turkish chilli powder, see remarks), to tasteGround black pepper, to taste1 Egg yolk2 Tbs MilkIngredients For The "Pide Dough":1/2 Tbs Dry yeastA pinch castor sugar190g/ml Warm water250g Bread flour or all-purpose flour3/4 Tsp Fine sea salt2 Tbs Extra-virgin olive oilMethod For The "Pide Dough":1. In the bowl of your mixer, dissolve the yeast in half the warm water and sprinkle with the sugar, set aside in warm place for 10 minutes or until frothy.2. Incorporate enough flour to create a sloppy paste (similar in texture to pancake batter) and cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and let rest for 20 minutes in a warm place or until bubbly.3. Add the remaining flour, the salt, water and the olive oil. Using the dough hook attachment, knead on low speed until the dough is smooth, springy and passes the window pane test, about for 10 minutes (add a little flour or water according to need - the dough should be slightly sticky, but not be tacky).4. Transfer the dough to lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic film, and let rest until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hour.5. Cut the dough into 3 equal portions and set aside.

Method For the "Pide":6. Preheat the oven to 250° C (450° F).7. Roll each piece of dough into a long 30 x 10cm (14 x 4 inches) rectangle.8. Scatter 1/3 of the topping over the dough (start with the halloumi, then the mozarella, the olives, the pepper and the suçuk), leaving about a 2cm (1 inch) border around the edges.9. Fold up the two long sides of the dough, bringing them up and over the topping, but without meeting in the middle, then squeeze the sides together at each end, twisting them together slightly to create a long "canoe/boat" shape. Sprinkle with the chilli powder and black pepper.10. Repeat the operation with the rest of the dough.11. To make the egg wash, mix together the yolk and the milk. Brush each pide with the egg wash.12. Bake one Pide at a time for about 7 minutes, or until the bread is golden in color and the cheese has completely melted.13. Serve hot.

Remarks:If you don't have any halloumi, suçuk or kirmizi biber, you can replace them with quality Edamer cheese, Calabrese/dried or raw chorizo sausages and the chilli powder of your choice (fragrant and medium hot).

Serving Suggestions:Serve with onion slices and a salad (tomato & cucumber or lettuce).Sprinkle with additional olive oil and fine sea salt if you wish.

Beautiful photos of a fantastic looking dish. I've recently discovered some ethic markets; sort of all gathered in one area in Denver not too far from me. It has opened up a whole world of new cooking experiences and I'm eager to step outside of my traditional cooking comfort zone. It might have to include a Turkish pizza pie!

Dear Rosa you need to slow down. You have a lovely Blog and your photography is beautiful. Do not be so hard on yourself. You have been my most loyal follower for this past four years and I so appreciate that as my blogging efforts are nowhere near as talented as yours.The Pide Pie looks and sounds wonderful x

Hmm, perhaps you need a break from blogging Rosa. Recharge your batteries and return revitalized and rested. Your readers will still be here.You do such an amazing job with your blog! You deserve it :)

I love the Maloufs! I have the "Saha" cookbook and I absolutely adore the recipes in it.Your pide looks amazing! Suzuk or soutzouki as we call it in Greece is my favorite sausage. I use it a lot in my cooking.Magda

Rosa, you are not alone. I too like everything tight and orderly, and like you, if I don't blog (or at least check in), I panic. But at the same time I obsessively check my stats which only leads to more panic. Minds are quite silly sometimes. :-)

Rosa, I wish I were familiar with Turkish pizza, alas, I wasn't even aware of Suçuk sausage.However, as delicious as it looks, it's bound to make it to my table as soon as I find some of the featured ingredients.

Be still my beating heart! The pide with all thse divine toppings is indeed worthy of a blog...no matter how busy you are! Overall, great words of advice Rosa. Sometimes it pays to step back and assess the situation. Enjoy your weekend!

I remember the story my dad told us coming back from one of his journeys to Turkey .He was describing how in restaurants ebfore meal they serve you constantly with small apetizires and he was able to choose his own fish he wanted for dinner.This pide looks fantastic and I make Turkish faklt bread myself :)

beautiful and tasty : I like !I discovered turkish cooking during an "unwanted trip" to Istanbul. yes unwanted, as Istanbul was at that time on the deep bottom of triping list ! Can you imagine !And when back, I was totally under the charm of this wonderfull city.I went back to my trip list and throw it away !Regarding rushing and time escaping : I have the same filling. is it because we have grown and that now we have conciousness of time running too fast that we are overbooking our agenda ?Anyway, It was nice ti read youBises

So true that when we feel a lack of time our hobbies can seem more like chores. I'm always trying to prevent that! This recipe makes me want to learn more about Turkish food. Looks delicious, and I need to read that book.

You are not alone dear Rosa. Oh how I would love to throw caution to the wind at not keep my eye on the clock.

It reminds me of a story I once heard about 5 men stuck in a deep hole for days. One man was wearing a watch while the others weren't. During the process of getting rescued, the others would constantly ask the man with the watch the time. A quick shake of the head and the time was noted and dismissed. However, for the man with the watch, it was a constant reminder which remained until the next inquiry was made. When they were finally rescued days later, the man with the watch was the only one to have perished.

Experiencing Turkish food for the first time is not a moment one easily forgets. I have Turkish friends who are now back home in their native home of Istanbul who I will never forget. Not only is their food served with warmth and fragrance, much like this lovely dish you have presented to us today, but the depth of flavors resonates for a lifetime.

Thank you so much for sharing yourself, your eyeful beauty and this Turkish Pizza with us...

Pide is one of my favourite treats, though it is not tha common here. I have the Turquoise book and the recipe bokmarked, and now you've given me the kick in the ass I needed to make it! Yours looks amazing.:)

Hi !! Thanks for sharing our delicious Turkish Pizza ; SUCUK is something crazy delicious;I don't know if you have tasted the real spicy one...but if you ever come to my country,Turkey; AFyon is the hometown of all the SUCUKS in the country....and when it comes to PIDE, that is another issue....you must try the ones we make for RAMAZAN...:D...

I've always admired how you seem to be able to manage reading everyone's blogs so quickly and have time to do that! And yes life can be hard to manage at times! Just take care of yourself as a burnout is not something you'd want! Love this Turkish pizza! Looks delicious!!

Turkish is one of the most underestimated cuisines and it ought to be given more respect. Since I am in the middle east now and get to sample a lot of authentic turkish delights, its come as a revelation.

I did not know this chef, but I am a huge fan of Turkish cousine. In Germany there are many Turkish restaurants and markets, but most ready made food is really of poor quality and heavily adapted to German's tastes. SO any recipe to prepare those delicacies at home is very welcome. After this great post, I hope your confidence has increased a bit. You definitely deserve it!

Yay the recipes are back! And I totally get what you say about blogging. Sometimes I feel the same way but I try to enjoy it as much as possible, the day it becomes a burden it's the day I change careers :)

Rosa...knowing that you've been blogging for over 5 years...I can only imagine that your talented passion along with constraints of time can be questioned at times.Lately...I've felt some similar qualms about my desired hobby. I am being very careful not to overstep my respected boundaries...all this because I would hate abandoning my Foodessa...a journey that has brought me so much so far.

Turkish dishes have always put a smile on my tummy. The ingredients in your pizza are just perfectly blended. Buon appetito.

Had a good read! Wow, you take lovely pictures. This recipe looks very interesting and loved reading your post. You have a great collection of recipes. Do visit my curry blog athttp://cosmopolitancurrymania.blogspot.com

I am constantly impressed by bloggers. You have jobs, families and lives to live and yet you still find time to post recipes. When I was younger and raising my kids, I would never have taken the time. So I kudos to you, Rosa, for posting even when you don't have time. What I don't like to read is that blogging is a chore or stressing you out. That is NOT a good thing. Take some time off blogging and commmenting if you need to. Life is too short not to look around and enjoy life, expecially during a lovely summer!

I sometimes feel the pressure fomr bloggin, but I am always so unorganized..with the kids, college and daily duties it can get stressful. I then take abreathe and remember why I do it, fun! wonderful words and your such a bloggie pro, lovely pide pie..love the flavor of halloumi and olives!

Your pizza look amazing!! like always (LOL)dear Rosa, take your time, breath and enjoy again Blogger is for have a lovely time, I know what you say sometimes is stressed (i have two kids) but I know like is, send you huggs, gloria

It really does seem as though all of this gets overwhelming frequently actually...but you have given good advice here, remember to follow it and take time to enjoy :)Lovely dish, I discovered Turkish cuisine only withing the last year or so and find many dishes to be extraordinary...

God Rosa this is heaven and even more!!! I was enjoy my time hour amazing blog and I here at your amazing blog and I found this pizza...The crust,the filling....This for sure make living better for anyoneLove it...